The legal battle surrounding Alec Baldwin‘s involvement in the fatal “Rust” shooting may not be over. Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey has asked the judge to reconsider her decision to dismiss the manslaughter charge against Baldwin and hinted that the case could be revived on appeal.
Prosecutor wants charge reinstated against Alec Baldwin
The case was dismissed with prejudice by Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer in July, meaning it could not be refiled.
According to Variety, Kari Morrissey, the special prosecutor appointed to handle the “Rust” cases, argued that the defense had successfully “confused” Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer about the relevance of evidence that had been withheld.
The judge criticized the prosecution for withholding crucial evidence—bullets that were turned over to the Sheriff’s Department months earlier. In a striking courtroom moment, the judge opened an evidence envelope to reveal bullets that appeared to match the live rounds found on the “Rust” set.
“If this conduct does not rise to the level of bad faith, it certainly comes so near to bad faith as to show signs of scorching,” Judge Marlowe Sommer stated at the time of her ruling, according to Variety.
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Morrissey, however, is pushing back. In her motion, she argued that Baldwin’s defense team, consisting of nine attorneys, had strategically confused the court. Morrissey claimed the defense had “laid in wait” to raise a motion to dismiss mid-trial, which she described as a tactical move to exploit the state’s limited resources. She also suggested that the defense was not genuinely surprised by the withheld evidence, possibly learning of it through other legal channels, such as the attorney for “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed.
Morrissey is urging the judge to further question the defense on how and when it became aware of the bullets, ensuring that a complete record is made for a potential appeal. She continues to argue that the bullets are irrelevant to Baldwin’s defense and were not exculpatory, which would have eliminated the state’s obligation to disclose them.
With the possibility of an appeal looming, the legal ramifications of the tragic accident that claimed the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins may continue to unfold.
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the ‘Rust’ moving shooting case
On July, the U.S. authority decided to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin after the actor’s defense argued that the prosecution had concealed evidence, causing delays in the investigation.
“The late discovery of this evidence during the trial has prevented the effective use of the evidence, thus affecting the fundamental fairness of the process,” explained Judge Marlowe Sommer.
BREAKING: Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the ‘Rust’ moving shooting case with prejudice against #AlecBaldwin. When Baldwin heard her ruling, he started to sob and later hugged his family. Baldwin was facing an involuntary manslaughter charge. pic.twitter.com/v9gfv2xd92
— Law&Crime Network (@LawCrimeNetwork) July 12, 2024
As soon as Baldwin heard the verdict, he couldn’t hold back his tears, and shortly afterward, he left the court surrounded by his family, without making any comments to the press.
The actor then took his Instagram to thank everyone for the support during the trial, writing:
There are too many people who have supported me to thank just now.
To all of you, you will never know how much I appreciate your kindness toward my family.
Why was Alec Baldwin accused of involuntary manslaughter?
Alec Baldwin was accused of involuntary manslaughter due to a tragic incident on the set of the movie “Rust” on October 21, 2021.
During the filming of a scene, Baldwin accidentally fired a prop gun loaded with live ammunition instead of blanks, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.
The case was investigated by authorities to determine how the gun was loaded with live ammunition, and shortly after, the police charged the actor with involuntary manslaughter.
According to the prosecution, Alec, who was also a producer of the movie, was responsible for Halyna’s death as he was supposed to ensure safety on the set.
